The next morning, Shizen woke up, still feeling the aftereffects of the fight from the previous day. He groaned as he got out of bed, rubbing his sore muscles.
He knew he had a day of regular classes and homework ahead of him, but right now he just wanted to shower and relax a bit before heading to school. However, as he stepped out of the shower, he heard a knock on his front door.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and went to open the door, wondering who it could be so early in the morning. As he opened the door, he was surprised to find Teki standing there, looking a bit out of place.
Before Shizen could say anything, Teki spoke up, his usual gruff manner softened by the early hour. "Can I come in?" he asked, his voice quieter than usual.
Shizen was taken aback a bit by Teki's unexpected visit, but he stepped aside to let him in. "Sure," he replied, gesturing for Teki to come inside.
As Teki stepped inside, he took a look around Shizen's home. It was neat and tidy, with a few items here and there indicating his hobbies and interests.
Shizen closed the door and turned to face Teki. "So, what brings you here so early in the morning?" he asked, still a bit surprised by the unannounced visit.
Teki shifted uncomfortably, still not quite used to being in this situation. "I wanted to talk to you," he said, his gruff exterior slipping a bit.
"About what?" Shizen questioned, his curiosity piqued. He had a feeling it had something to do with the fight from the previous day, but he wasn't sure exactly what Teki wanted to discuss.
Teki fidgeted with his hoodie, a rare display of nervousness from him. "I just wanted to... apologize for yesterday," he mumbled, his voice almost too low for Shizen to hear.
Shizen was surprised by Teki's unexpected apology. He hadn't expected the former bully to admit fault so easily.
"Apologize for what?" he asked, even though he had a good idea what Teki was referring to.
Teki took a deep breath and looked Shizen directly in the eye. "For being a jerk yesterday," he admitted. "I've been a jerk for a long time, and yesterday was just another example of that. I'm sorry."
Shizen was caught off guard by Teki's sudden apology. It was not something he had expected from someone who had been bullying him for so long.
He hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond. Then, a sly smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Shizen's smile widened as he realized where this conversation was headed. "Apology accepted," he said, his voice a bit too nonchalant for the gravity of the situation
"Although...," Shizen added, the amusement clear in his tone. "I'll only accept the apology if you're willing to do something for me."
Teki's expression hardened. "What do you want?" he asked, his gruff exterior returning.
Shizen chuckled. "I just want you to do one thing for me," he replied. "Just one thing."
Teki rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of curiosity in his expression. "What is it?" he asked, bracing himself for what could be an unreasonable request.
Shizen pretended to think for a moment, prolonging the anticipation. Then, he spoke up, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "I want you to do one chore for me every day for a week," he said, expecting Teki to grumble and protest.
Teki was clearly not expecting such a simple request. He had braced himself for something more embarrassing or degrading.
He let out a breath, surprised that Shizen's demand wasn't more extreme. "That's all?" he asked, not quite believing it.
Teki gave a small huff of relief at the request. "I suppose I can do that," he agreed, albeit somewhat begrudgingly. "I guess it could have been worse."
Shizen chuckled, secretly amused by how simple his request turned out to be. "Great! It's a deal then," he said. "You'll do one chore a day for the next week, and we'll call it even."
Teki nodded reluctantly, still not too happy about having to do chores but at least it wasn't a humiliating task.
"Yeah, whatever," he grumbled. "Just don't give me anything too annoying."
After Teki left, Shizen headed off to school. As he walked, he couldn't help but think about the unexpected morning encounter with Teki. The bully's sudden apology and compliance with his deal was baffling, and he wondered if Teki would actually follow through on his end of the bargain.
As Shizen arrived at school and walked to his classroom, he saw Juyo already seated in their usual seat, looking cheerful as ever.
"Hey, Shizen," Juyo greeted as Shizen took his seat next to him. "You look like you got some serious stuff on your mind."
Shizen nodded in response to Juyo's comment, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah, you could say that," he replied cryptically, not wanting to give too much away just yet.
Juyo leaned in closer, his eyes wide with anticipation. "You're not gonna tell me, are you?" he asked, a hint of a pout on his face, although it was clearly exaggerated for dramatic effect.
Shizen smirked, enjoying Juyo's exaggerated disappointment. "Not yet," he said, keeping the cryptic response going. "You'll have to wait a bit longer to find out."
The teacher walked in and the class quieted down as the lesson began. Juyo, however, couldn't focus on the lesson, his attention still on Shizen and his secret. He spent the entire class period trying to subtly pry for information but Shizen remained tight-lipped.
The bell rang, signaling the lunch break. Almost instantly, the classroom erupted with the sound of chairs scraping and students chattering as they packed up their belongings and prepared to head for the cafeteria.
Shizen and Juyo grabbed their bags and joined the flow of students making their way out of the classroom. Juyo was still trying to figure out what was going on with Shizen. "Come on, man, you can't leave me hanging like this," he pleaded, keeping his voice low so others wouldn't overhear.
As they made their way to the cafeteria, they ran into Kinya, who was also heading to lunch. Seeing the frustrated look on Juyo's face and the neutral expression on Shizen, she instantly picked up on the situation.
"What's going on with you two?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Juyo's obvious agitation.
Juyo crossed his arms, a disgruntled expression on his face. "Shizen won't tell me what's going on," he whined. "I've been trying to get it out of him all morning, but he keeps being all mysterious."
Shizen chuckled at Juyo's petulant behavior, his cold demeanor cracking a bit. "Relax, Juyo. It's not that big of a deal," he said, in a more lighthearted tone.
As they continued their conversation at the cafeteria, Shizen's cellphone rang. He checked the caller ID and a look of shock crossed his face as he saw it was his Aunt calling.
Shizen excused himself and answered the call, his expression shifting to one of concern. Listening to what his Aunt was saying, his face paled.